Impulse Buying

That requires having the funds to afford it, amigo...

Certainly. I think the more uncommon would be the train guy that had never purchased on an impulse.....

Hi Norm,

   I hear exactly what you are saying.  With me it was Postwar Lionel accessories and like items. I'm now trying to downsize to what my layout can handle which is aiming towards a high-rail theme.  I'm selling and trying to trade away some items that have been in storage for more time that I can remember. Don't get me wrong though, I still am buying, just very picky now. 

I think I did impulse buy, actually. It was a 1666 at a train show, Lionel piece from 1947, that the man was selling for $30 back in 2012(?). I bought it, lubed it, and ran the wheels off of her. Just rewheeled her last spring, fall? Something like that.

I'm a closet impulse buyer who's been somewhat successful in recently controlling those urges. I say closet cause that's where I stash those purchases and see myself somewhat under control as I've run out of closets to stash in. Although not a buyer of tinplate, I admit to being weakened by anything Polar Express, Strasburg RR (even to the point of purchasing multiples), and unusual and quirky items that strike my fancy. I now need to focus my efforts on selling off and thinning the herd vs. buying and accumulating more stuff.

I bought my first "real" prewar Lionel Standard Gauge tinplate on an impulse. I had previously bought a modern Lionel Standard Gauge Hiawatha, more for my collection of Hiawathas than out of any real interest in Standard Gauge, but no other tinplate. I was at a train show before it opened, setting up my tables, and I took a stroll around the place to see what everyone else had. There was an old guy there with some tinplate, including a set with a 390E in amazing condition. The price was right, I couldn't resist and I bought the set on the spot. Half an hour later I walked by that table again and noticed a couple of guys who I knew as big-time Standard Gauge collectors weeping and wailing that it had sold before they made up their mind to buy. 

That 390E is still one of the smoothest running tinplate engines I have. In particular, it has the quietest mechanical E-unit I've ever seen, prewar or post. The rest of the set was ordinary - peacock gondola, green and orange stock car, green and red caboose - but in good condition. I still think I got a great deal on that set and I probably will never sell it, although I seldom run it any more. 

Norm,

   Almost happened to me again yesterday, and I still may go back and pick up the Gun Metal Gray 259E & Tender, don't have one in Gray, but do have one in Black.  Fighting the urge to impulse purchase Tin Plate has been a life long battle!

PCRR/Dave

I've had pretty good luck with impulse buys at train shows.  Over the past couple of years, I've found a few inexpensive tinplate cars, engines, and accessories.   Some of the sellers have told me that tinplate is difficult to sell (at least in Michigan) and they are just trying to get rid of it.  I love tinplate and that's all I really look for at shows.  It seems to be a buyers market and, in my experience, sellers put low prices on tinplate just to unload it.  When I see a good deal on tinplate, it makes it easier for me to make an impulse buy.  I don't think I've ever picked up something that I regret, especially since the cost was so low.  I have fun with it and you never know what you might see that will interest you.  For the record, I collect o-scale tinplate, but I have noticed that standard gauge items seem to hold more value than o-scale and the prices on standard gauge tend to be higher.

There is really no such thing as impulse buying.

If I see it and want it, I buy it.

Simple.

We all do it.   I haven't done it with tinplate, but I've got a RailKing Scale UP C30-7 that I picked up last year on a whim.   Looked neat, price was right, so I bought it.   Now it just sits.   Works the other way too...  I've got an SD7ACE and an ES44AC that I picked up for no apparent reason and I really like them.   

I find that with MTH in particular, the pictures in the catalog often don't do justice to the final product in person.  There have been a few occasions where I glossed over a product in the catalog, but when I saw it in person I had to have it.   This happens a lot with rolling stock.   A lot of the 50' RailKing boxcars look terrible to me in the catalog but in person they are quite nice.   

Comes with the territory